From the Principal

CET School Effectiveness Survey

From Monday 23 March, St Mary’s College will participate in the Catholic Education Tasmania School Effectiveness Survey. This survey provides an important opportunity for parents, students from Years 3–12 and staff to share their perspectives on their experience of our College.

The feedback we receive is a vital part of our ongoing commitment to reflection and improvement. The information gathered helps guide future planning, informs our annual goals and supports the development of programs and strategies that enhance student learning, wellbeing and engagement. When we hear from a broad range of voices within our community, we gain a clearer and more meaningful understanding of what we do well and where we can continue to grow together.

A letter will be sent home with your child next week outlining how to access the survey online. I strongly encourage all members of our community to take the time to participate. Your involvement is valued, and your feedback plays an important role in shaping the future direction of St Mary’s College.

NAPLAN

Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 have completed the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). While NAPLAN commenced nationally with a few hiccups, these issues have been resolved, and we are pleased to report that nearly all testing has now been completed. 

NAPLAN assesses students’ skills in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation), and numeracy, providing a snapshot of achievement that helps inform future teaching and learning. The message presented to students and families is that NAPLAN is just one measure of learning and does not define a student’s abilities or potential. Most importantly, the data will allow teachers to track students’ achievement and growth, as well as inform annual and strategic planning.

NAPLAN provides useful nationally comparable evidence about student achievement and growth. The outcomes of these assessments are used to inform future policy development, resource allocation, curriculum planning and, where necessary, intervention programs. 

Cocurricular: Athletics, swimming, rowing

The cocurricular program has commenced with significant participation, engaging over half of the student body. Currently, approximately 25 teams represent SMC in after-school competitions across both the Junior and Senior Schools. This period also marks a major carnival season, highlighted by the conclusion of the rowing season with the Head of the River event last weekend at Lake Barrington. Please find a full report of the rowing outcomes further in this newsletter. 

Senior School students are presently participating in the athletic season, while junior students are competing in swimming. Numerous carnivals are scheduled throughout the month, and we extend our best wishes to all participating teams.